Overview on the safe management of controlled drugs

Abstract

New arrangements for controlled drugs (CDs) have been established in the last few years to encourage good practice in the management of CDs, as well as help to detect at the earliest opportunity unusual or poor clinical practice systems, criminal activity, or risk to patients. This is a response to the Shipman Inquiry which examined how a GP was able to kill many of his patients with CDs over his career without being detected. One of the guiding principles of the new arrangements is that they should not interfere with the appropriate use of CDs and good clinical care. The safe governance principles should apply to all health and social care settings where CDs are supplied, prescribed, stored, administered or transported. All NHS bodies, hospices and registered independent hospitals (general and psychiatric) have a responsibility to assure that the quality of their CD management is an integral part of their clinical governance processes. Requirements for collaboration and information sharing between all health and social care providers, and relevant regulators and agencies have also been introduced.